Titus 2

Titus 2

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.

We live in a society the does and says what it wants.  No foundation.  No structure.  No truth.  We teach from the word of God that never changes.

  ² Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Temperate means self restrained or moderate.  This is sometimes linked with alcohol.  Respect is something we earn by the lifestyle we live.  Self control is not giving in to your passions be it food, sex, greed or anything that takes control of you.  Sound in faith means you know what you believe and what you believe is in line with scripture.  Sound in love is to love as God loves.  Sound endurance is to keep going even when life gets hard.  As a man in my 40's, do I live this life?
 
³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

I get nervous when scripture speaks to women, but Titus was a man and he was ordered by Paul to teach this and Paul was ordered by God to teach it.  Therefore, if you don't like what it says you are rejecting God, not me.  However I shall not make commentary on these verses.

⁶ Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Lead by example. How to be a man is more caught than taught.

⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Obey your boss.  Put in an honest days work.  This will make you a more effective witness for God.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

We can say no.  Sometimes it is hard, but through the power of Christ we can.  He gave himself for us to redeem us.  We should be eager to do what is right out of appreciation for what he has done.

¹⁵ These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

We have God's authority to teach what is right.  

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters.  Amen.